Kim Petras caps off a breakthrough year with her first world tour
RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
rich@dallasvoice.com
This year was a breakout year for Kim Petras: She made history by winning a Grammy Award with Sam Smith for the smash hit “Unholy.” She was featured as a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, and now she’s on her first tour that comes to Dallas this weekend that extends into the next year.
Petras is pretty much on fire.
Before her concert Monday, Nov. 13, at Dallas’ South Side Ballroom, Petras, via email, discussed her big year and how her newest album, Feed the Beast, dives deeper into the real Kim Petras than ever before. Plus, we couldn’t help asking about her and Madonna.
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Dallas Voice: You have had a huge year. How are you reflecting on everything that’s happening still? Petras: I still don’t think I’ve completely processed it! It’s been non-stop, and there are still so many more surprises on the way this year and next, like the collaboration with David Guetta coming this Friday (Nov. 10) and the UK/Europe leg of the Feed The Beast World Tour in February.
What lessons do you feel like you are learning with you blowing up this year? I’ve learnt that it’s really important to make time for yourself. I love my work, and I want to devote as much time to it as possible, but with the recent whirlwind I had to learn to take the time to recharge myself. It’s important to find the time to step back for an hour or two to practice yoga, which I very much enjoy, and to be mindful of appreciating the journey that I’m on.
You’ve been making music for a while now. What do you feel like you’re saying in this new album that’s different from before? My recent Feed The Beast album was less about being a character and more about what I was experiencing and feeling. It’s all about sacrificing yourself to your “beast” or your biggest passion in life — and, for me, that’s pop music. I loved exploring a slightly different side to me while diving into the pop and Eurodance I used to listen to growing up.
I’ve always had really strong concepts for my other projects where I play a character or exaggerate a part of my personality, like Problematique, Slut Pop and TURN OFF THE LIGHT. But this time it was more about being me.
Now you are on your first worldwide tour! How is it to bring your show to the masses at this level? This tour has been incredible so far. It is the biggest tour I’ve ever done and really represents me as an artist. It has a lot of me and my life in it, and I had a really particular vision for what I wanted it to look like. It’s a really intricate show with the staging, the costumes and the choreography, so we were in rehearsals for over a month — just running it over and over again. It has been so special to see my vision come to life and be able to share it with my fans.
This year alone you won a Grammy. You were a Sports Illustrated bathing suit model and had high-profile collabs. At the same time, we’re all struggling with politics and laws against us. Representation has been sort of thrust on you by the community. How do you either embrace or handle while delivering music and videos and tours? I do feel pressure sometimes, and my hope is that I’m representing the community with everything I do. It’s such an honor that people look up to me, but early in my career it was scary because it’s so important. I feel very blessed, and being on the road has given me amazing opportunities to hear from people saying that they’re inspired by me. It’s definitely a scary time for the LGBTQ community in America, and, at the same time, I’m happy that there’s so much more representation out there now than there ever has been.
How was it having Madonna introduce you at the Grammys and getting to meet her? She has been an icon for LGBTQ people forever; you are certainly iconic for a new generation. Meeting Madonna was a dream come true! I’ve looked up to her for so long. She showed up at the SNL afterparty after I performed “Unholy” with Sam Smith, and I fangirled out, because she’s such a major inspiration to me. She was really nice and cool about it, though. She’s the reason I make pop, so having her introduce me and Sam at the Grammys was such a “pinch me” moment. I was so nervous to perform, but, after she introduced us, she turned around and mouthed “Go get it, bitch” to me. It was such a confidence boost and, honestly, I can die happy now.